Condenser for steam-pumps



(No Model.)

' W. A. MILES CONDENSER FOR STEAM PUMPS.

No. 271,096, Patented Jan.23, 1883.

N PETERS. Pnom-Licho mpm. WnsYfngIon. D.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM A. MILES, OF OOPAKE IRON WORKS, NEYV YORK.

CONDENSER F'OR STEAM-PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,096, dated January 23, 1883 Application filed December 21, 1882. (No model.)

' To all whom tt may concern:

'bia and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Condensers for Steam-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

Steam-pumps have been operated by directacting engines very extensively, and in some instances efforts have been made to condense the steam from such engines; but where the water-pump has acted as the condensationpump there is difficulty in maintaining the necessary vacuum in the'pump, and also in obtaining a useful vacuum behind the piston of the engine, and when the engine is running slow there is a risk of the steam condensing and allowing the water to rush into the steamcylinder.

My invention relates to the combination, with the suction-pipe leading to thetpump, of a steam-pipe for the exhaust from the engine opening into the suction-pipe, and a valve applied at the said steam-pipe to prevent the water passing into the same. Hence when the vacuum in the suction-pipe is greater than the vacuum at the exhaust the valve will open and the steam will pass into the water and be, condensed; but when the vacuum in the exhaust-steam pipe is the greatest the valve will close. I also arrange the suction-pipe in such a manner as to obtain any desired amount of vacuu in without materially increasing the work of the pump in lifting the water from one level to another.

There are numerous ways in which the valve and steam-pipes may be arranged and constructed. Some of these will form the subject of separate applications. The present case is to be regarded as relating to the aforesaid features, broadly.

In the drawingsI have shown, in Figure 1, a vertical section of the said improvement.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view of the valve in aslightly modified form, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.

The pipe a is the inlet through which the water is drawn, and 1) represents a pipe lead ing to the pump. I prefer to make use of the siphon-legs c d, the first being a continuation of the pipe a, the second intersecting the pipe I). There is a check-valve at e and a threeway cock at f. When the pump is started the three-way cock is to be placed in the position shown by dotted'lines in Fig. 1, and closes the siphon-leg al, and allows the water to be drawn up a into b and thence to the pump. The cock f is now gradually turned, and the air exhausted from c (1 passes to the pump. The water rises in 0 past the check-valve c and fills both a and d, and when this is accomplished the valve fis turned to close the passage between a and b, as shown by full lines,

Fig. l, and cause the water to flow by c d to b to the pump. The water in the legs 0 d balances, and there is but little extra power exerted in thepump to draw the water over this siphon; but the vacuum at the upper part of c d is greater than it is at the level of b. Hence a better effect will be produced in condensing the steam that passes from the engine by the pipeg into the upper part of c or d. If the column of water in the pipe or should be only, say, five feet, there would only be about onethird of a vacuum-say ten pounds pressure; but if the siphon-leg c and pipe a should be twenty-live feet long there would be about fivesixths of a vacuum, equal to about two and a half pounds pressure, and the column (I, acting upon the principle of the siphon, counterbalances the weight of the column in c, and the pump itself only has to raise the water to the level of b and overcome friction.

The steam from the engine is admitted by the pipe g, and in this pipe there is a valve, 1',

for preventing the water following up the steam and condensing it in said pipe h when the engine is running slowly. This valve may be of any desired character, and the steampipe may pass into the uptake 0 of the siphon; but -I prefer to place the same in the downflow d, as shown. The valve t is represented as closing upwardly into the flaring mouth of the pipe 9, and the stem of saidvalve is guided by bridges, and the weight of the valve is sustained by the spring k. This valve opens and lets the steam out into the water whenever the vacuum in the upper part of the pipes c d is g'reater'than the vacuum in the steam-pipe, and when the vacuum in the steam-pipe is the greatest the valve closes.

valve in the uptake-pipe c, the parts should be'made as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. In this instance the valve t is annular and connected to the stem l by arms, the steam-pipe g terminating in an annular passage, h, which the valve t covers. This annular steamrpassage should be supported by arms m, that pass off to a ring that rests in a seat at the joint between the pipes c. In this form of valve, the water passing through the steam-ring as well as around it, the condensing action is increased. In all instances it is important that the openings for the steam to pass through as it issues into the waterbe narrow, so that the steam will be condensed rapidly by the water. In cases where there is a valve that is opened by the flow of Water the stearuway, if it is in any mannerinfiuenced by such valve, will be opened so that Water can pass into the steam-space.

I claim as'my-in\'ention 1. The combination, with the suction-pipe in a water-raising apparatus, of a steam-pipe through which steam from an engine is discharged, and a valveto be opened by the steam and close in the other direction, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the suction-pipe in a watenraising apparatus, of a-siphon extending above the outlet-pipe to the pump, and a pipe discharging exhaust-steam into the siphonnear the upper part thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the suction-pipe a b, of the siphon-pipes c d,check-va1ves 0, threeway valve f, and exhaust-steam pipe opening into the siphon-pipe, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination, with the suction-pipe in a water-raising apparatus, of a siphon extending above the outlet-pipe, an exhauststeam pipe opening into the suction-pipe, and a valve applied to the steam-pipe opening by the steam and closing in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 16th day of December, A. D. 1832.

WILLIAM A. MiLns.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM Gr. Morr. 

